study guide - Calgary Opera

STUDY GUIDE
FOR STUDENTS ONLY DRESS REHEARSAL
APRIL 3, 2014
7:00 PM
JUBILEE AUDITORIUM
calgaryopera.com
SUNG IN ITALIAN WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS PROJECTED ABOVE THE STAGE
Welcome to Calgary Opera’s 2013-14 season!
Opera is a unique and exciting art form that combines the disciplines of music, drama, literature, dance,
visual, and technical arts like no other. We close the 2013-2014 season with a new production of a Puccini
masterpiece, Madame Butterfly.
This guide, divided into three parts, will give you a backstage tour of all that is opera - terminology,
inside information from the conductor, the history behind the opera and the composer as well as ideas for
including opera in your students’ learning. Also included is a link to download musical highlights from
the opera which will help your students become familiar with the music as well as the sound of opera in
general. All of this is designed to make Madame Butterfly an unforgettable experience for you and your
students.
We hope that this guide will assist you in making opera connections in your classroom in fun and interesting ways as well as to use Madame Butterfly as a point of departure for their learning. Exposure to
performing and fine arts helps students develop critical analysis and problem solving skills, perseverance,
and a drive for excellence. The creative skills students develop through the arts carry them toward new
ideas, new experiences and new challenges. Plus, there’s nothing like the excitement and magic of a live
professional performance!
Thank you for giving your students this special opportunity.
Emily Forrest
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Calgary Opera
Phone (403) 262-7286, direct line (403) 802-3404
[email protected]
Education sponsor
Community Outreach sponsor
Please feel free to reproduce any of these pages for use in the classroom
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE
PART ONE: Preparation and follow-up activities
1.
Write a Review or Critique of the Performance
A sample review is found in Part Two of this study guide.
One of the best ways to encourage critical thinking of a performing arts production is to encourage students’ honesty and draw out detailed opinions. A productive evaluation session - spoken, written, visual
or dramatized - should follow this basic ‘how-to’ outline below. On the internet, students can find many
reviews of Madame Butterfly from other opera companies’ performances to use as a guideline or example.
Guidelines for writing a review:
When writing an opera review you can focus on many different elements, but keep in mind the acting,
singing, technical aspects, orchestration, and the overall view of the performance.
Performance of the Singers
The acting and singing are probably the most important aspects of the opera. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the opera and its characters before you go see it. Make sure you know all of the characters’ names and the actors who are playing them; the study guide or the Calgary Opera website is an ideal
place in which to find all this information.
Did they bring the music to life? Could you see and hear the emotion while they sang? Did they interact
well with others on stage?
Did any particular performer stand out to you and why? How did the singer communicate his/her character? Did you feel that the singer’s chraracter was believable? Sympathetic? How well are they giving and
taking focus?
Technical Aspects
It has been said that if the technical aspect of the performance becomes noticeable, then it is not effective.
Keep in mind that the sets, lights, sound, make-up and costumes are there to enhance the performance
Were the costumes appropriate to the time period? Did they enhance the characters?
Did the lighting design communicate time of day and/or mood? Did it cast unflattering or distracting
shadows? Was the set complex or simple? How did this help or hinder the production?
What do you notice about the make-up worn by the singers on stage that differs from what people might
wear out in public? Did it age a singer? Make them appear more youthful? Was it done well?
Musical Aspects
Reviewing the musical performance is a tricky thing, and most reviewers continue to develop their ear for
the music and knowledge of the art form their entire lives.
Did you enjoy the music? Did you feel that the singers performed it smooth and effortlessly? What was
your favourite musical moment? What part did you feel had the power to move you emotionally?
So in conclusion, remember the singing and acting, the technical, and the overall view, and you’ll have
written a successful theatre review. Try to keep in mind that to be a theatre critic, you often have to be
critical, so if you feel that something was badly done include that in your review. Constructive criticism
can be helpful. Keep all these things in mind when writing your review and it will be great. Have fun!
2.
Engage students in meaningful discussions using the following points of
departure:
In what ways does opera differ from a musical? How is it similar?
What style of opera began to emerge in the early 1900s? What influenced the development of this style?
Discuss how the ideological shifts at the time influenced art.
Madame Butterfly explores themes of loyalty and power, honour and betrayal. Which of these themes are
still relevant today? How do they continue to influence pop culture?
A major theme found in Madame Butterfly is Exoticism. What is exoticism and what are the examples in
Madame Butterfly?
Background information for the following questions can be found in Part Two of the study guide.
2.
Compare and Contrast:
Madame Butterfly and Miss Saigon are based off of the same story and thus share many similarities.
How do they differ in their interpretations of the story?
Which do you prefer and why?
Examples are found in Part Two: Teacher Resource Materials
3.
Research and report on:
Research what the lifestyle and expectations were for a woman in Japan during the late 1800s.
How did these differ from that of a man of the same time period?
What is a ‘geisha’ and what was their role in Japanese society?
What was significant about this time period in Japan? What was going on that radically changed Japanese
lifestyle?
4.
Be a costume designer
Read the synopsis in Part Two of this study guide, and the character list. Imagine what their costumes
might look like. For each character, design a costume. Madame Butterfly has had many different stages,
in many different time periods so be sure that you explain why you chose the time period and setting that
you did.
Kimonos played an important role during the time period that Madame Butterfly takes place. Research
Japanese kimonos and design your own. What colours would you choose? What designs have signifigance to Japanese culture and life?
5.
Research Giacomo Puccini, the composer of Madame Butterfly.
One of the most famous and popular opera composers of all time, Puccini was responsible for La
Bohème, Tosca and Turandot as well as Madame Butterfly. Even if his name is not familiar to you, it’s
very likely that you’ve heard at least one of his melodies before.
Why was he a remarkable composer? How is he still influencing culture to this day?
What do you think it was that made him such a prominent figure in the opera world?
7. Giacomo Puccini’s biography can be found Part Two of this study guide.
Listen to the music selections in Part 3 to learn more about the music in Madame Butterfly.
8. Explore Calgary Opera’s website to find out more about Madame Butterfly and Calgary
Opera.
There are videos, synopses, artist bios and more at www.calgaryopera.com
NOTE: Background information for activities found in Part Two: Teacher resource materials
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE:
PART TWO: Teacher resource materials
1. Review example Pittsburgh Opera soars with Madame Butterfly
By Andrew Druckenbrod / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Cio-Cio San has a rough go of it in Puccini’s much-loved “Madama Butterfly.”
She had to become a Geisha when her father was forced to commit seppuku. At 15 she was married off to
a self-centered American naval captain, Lt. Pinkerton, who has no intention of ever returning. After three
excruciating years of waiting for him, and worry she will not be able to support their son, Pinkerton returns
with his “real” wife to claim the child. Butterfly follows her father’s path in one of opera’s most chilling
scenes.
But the truly tragic figures in any production are the stage director and the set designer. The entire 2 1/2
hours of music over three acts occurs in one place, the “flimsy” house that Pinkerton buys for his port-of-call
wife. It’s the operatic equivalent of “12 Angry Men,” and directors often make more trouble for themselves
trying to make it dynamic and more interesting.
Not so for Crystal Manich, stage director for the Pittsburgh Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly” that
opened Saturday night at the Benedum Center, Downtown, in a production created by John Conklin. Ms.
Manich, a Pittsburgh native who has degrees in directing and arts management from Carnegie Mellon University, called upon CMU lighting director Cindy Limauro to add variety in the form of color.
These were not highlights; the color drenched the simple screen walls of the house and the plain interior
completely. Blood red, blanched yellow, glowing pink and cool blue -- each was tied appropriately to the
plot. It was a simple plan, but it enhanced the action without taking, well, the spotlight from the singers. In
some cases, this was a good thing: tenor Bryan Hymel’s voice was luminous and bright in its own right. It
was the equivalent of a burning filament, yet adjustable in intensity to suit the arrogance of the opening, the
passion of the expansive duet that ends Act 1 and the guilt at the end. This was a fantastic Pittsburgh Opera
debut for the American.
Less so was that of his counterpart, Italian soprano Maria Luigia Borsi. While she let her character evolve
as the plot develops, she had issues with her vocal passaggio. The chest voice was rough, in stark contrast to
her often floating and bell-like upper register.
Last heard as Eugene Onegin, baritone Dwayne Croft impressed as Sharpless, the American consul who
watches helplessly as the tragedy unfolds. Warm and resonant, his timbre captured the emotional depth of
the character while simultaneously displaying an avuncular persona. Mika Shigematsu underwhelmed as
Suzuki -- her tone dull and monochromatic.
The rest of the cast was adequate; not spectacular but not poor. Average might be the better word, in terms of
singing. I did appreciate Joseph Gaines’ portrayal of Goro as fully human. This character can sometimes be
played as despicable, but the marriage broker does look out for Butterfly, even desperately trying to arrange
a second marriage with the rich Prince Yamadori (Kyle Olvier) that would set her up for life.
Kate Pinkerton (Nicole Rodin) and the Bonze (Joseph Barron) rounded out the cast. As usual, nearly everyone was upstaged by Butterfly’s son, in this case a patient, attentive and cute young-un, Margot Teh (Daniel
Frontz has the role Tuesday and Sunday). It always amazes me how directors convince such young children
to handle the part so well.
Ms. Manich’s blocking was nuanced, in contrast to her bold lighting. Puccini’s glorious music is, of course,
what powers this essentially static plot. But she directed a number of movements and glances that gave the
action an unaffected atmosphere.
Two other choices were more striking. One was an effective dream sequence, during the overnight vigil, in
which three visions of Pinkerton tantalize Butterfly. The other was having her commit suicide facing the audience with no screen, her child playing nearby and Pinkerton arriving just before she does it, as if he could
save her. This played too much with the established convention for my taste.
French conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud’s energetic leading of the pit orchestra created an enveloping ambiance.
His was a compelling interpretation that somehow was chamber orchestralike while also being intensely
emotional, and the musicians responded well.
2. Context and background on Madame Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was one of the last great Italian Romantic opera composers. He also stands as
the supreme exponent of a style of opera often labeled verismo. Verismo describes an opera that takes as its
subject parts of the real world that were previously considered unworthy of art. Its first sign is the choice of
a libretto that presents everyday people in familiar situations. Its second sign is a musical style appropriate
to such a libretto. We find obvious examples in La Bohème’s (1896) presentation of starving artists in Paris.
But Puccini was above all a successful eclectic who reflects variously the late Romantic taste for sentiment,
realism, and, as is especially evident in Madame Butterfly, exoticism: the sounds and sights of a particularly
alluring locale.
Rise of Verismo style
Verismo is a style of operatic composition, prevalent in Italy in the 1890s, with repercussions extending
to other European countries and later decades. Verismo in Italy originated in Milan in the 1870s, when the
Sicilian critic and writer Luigi Capuana published the novel Giacinta, generally regarded as the “manifesto”
of Italian verismo. The most important and influential exponent of the verismo school was Giovanni Verga,
whose novel and plays show analogies with the naturalism of the French authors Emil Zola whose novel
Germinal portrayed a coal-mining community living in terrible housing, working under shocking conditions,
a major pit accident and rescue, and Guy de Maupassant.
The landmark veristic opera is Mascagni’s Cavelleria Rusticana (1890), based on a short story by Verga set
in contemporary times in mountain village in Sicily, portraying peasant workers, carriers, and local people,
retribution and murder. The veristic operas that followed, such as Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (1892), and Puccini’s Il tabarro (1918), have certain traits in common. The settings are contemporary; the characters are
often rural and generally impoverished; the passions run high and lead to violence. There is a tendency in
these works to mix the sordid with the sensational.
Even before Cavalleria rusticana, Georges Bizet’s Carmen (1874; based on a work by Prosper Mérimée)
could be considered veristic in its portrayal of female workers in a cigarette factory, and local policemen,
though combined with the “exotic,” Romantic world of smugglers.
The term verismo is used more loosely to describe opera that portrays “everyday” characters. Thus Puccini’s
La Bohème (1896) depicts four impoverished artists living and working in a sordid garret in Paris, and an
equally poverty-stricken young girl who does embroidery for a living. (These lives are, however, romanticised in a way that is alien to true verismo). Puccini’s Tosca (1900) is also loosely called veristic: set in Italy,
it portrays a political prisoner, a painter, and a singer, heartessly tricked by the chief of police.
Madame Butterfly (1904) exists, of course, in a very different--and potentially glamorous!--setting and situation. But it is set in the contemporary world, and deals with the disreputable attitude of an American sailor
toward his Japanese bride, and so undercuts the superficially “exotic” world that it inhabits, ending with a
geisha girl committing suicide on stage.
The above text is sourced from Columbia University which has great information about the
opera and its history. Please visit: http://www.columbia.edu/itc/music/NYCO/butterfly/timeline.html
Exoticism and Opera: Madame Butterfly
The lure of Spanish dances, the mysticism of the Far East, the wild desert sands of Saudi Arabia, even the
bright lights of New York City… all places distant, tempting, and strange to us, mysterious, beyond our
understanding of what is normal. Composers and other artists have long been attracted to the ideals of the
exotic, above-average, unattainable and fantastic. While these places may not be as different as we believe
them to be, they encourage our imaginations and spark our excitement as we explore new territory far outside what we might find common place.
Opera can use exoticism in one of many ways- for example, drawing upon the musical styles from the destination in question (eg. Puccini uses a lot of “pentatonic” themes in Madame Butterfly, based on the five-note
scale that is so popular in Asian music), performers can wear costumes in the style of those who live in the
“exotic” locale, or sets can emulate certain lifestyles, situations, or geographical locations. Characters may
have exotic names, or speak exotic words or languages.
It’s important to note that, while something may be exotic, it may not be true to the actual location that
the inspiration is being drawn from- for example, Madame Butterfly is not entirely true to actual Japanese
culture or life. When a viewer decides not to view it as a realistic view of Japanese life, but rather one man’s
dream of life in an unfamiliar and glamorous world, it allows us to break free from reality, and explore our
own sense of romance and reality.
3.
Compare and Contrast: Madame Butterfly Adaptations
The libretto of the opera is based in part on the short story Madame Butterfly (1898) by John Luther Long,
which was dramatized by David Belasco. Elements also appear to derive from the novel Madame Chrysanthème (1887) by Pierre Loti. According to one scholar, the story of the opera was based on events that actually occurred in Nagasaki in the early 1890s.
Miss Saigon is based on Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving
an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The setting of the plot is relocated to the 1970s Saigon
during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly’s story of marriage between an American lieutenant and
Japanese girl is replaced by a romance between an American GI and a Vietnamese bar girl.
4.
Research and report on:
Puccini doesn’t tell us what year it is, but we’re somewhere in the late 1800s. (Madame Butterfly premiered
in 1904 – 110 years ago.) The United States was looking a lot like an empire then, and there was a question
afloat in the world: Was America – this great new power in the global arena -- an honourable nation?
In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine had asserted American authority over the Western Hemisphere, an authority
they went on to enforce in the decades that followed. In 1853, the United States extended their reach: Commodore Perry sailed the American fleet into Tokyo Bay and forced Japan to open its borders to trade, under
agreements very favourable to the United States.
Japan had been in self-imposed isolation for more than 150 years prior to Commodore Perry’s arrival. Earlier trade with Portugese, Dutch, Spanish and English traders had brought Jesuit missionaries and Western
political philosophy into Japan. Concerned that their culture was threatened, the Japanese sent the Western
world away and turned inward.
This wasn’t the first time. Japan had tried to isolate itself from outside influences centuries earlier when 6th
century Buddhist missionaries from India and China threatened their religious traditions.
On both occasions, the Japanese rulers were only partly successful. Buddhism and Japanese Shinto traditions
fused in Japan. In fact, though Buddhism is the dominant religion among the characters of Madame Butterfly, the prayers you’ll hear from the servant Suzuki – when she chants Izaghi, Izanami, Kami – these are
Shinto prayers.
In the 19th century, Western notions of democracy and capitalism would also find their place side by side
with traditional Japanese culture, introduced, in fact, by an emperor.
The invasion by Commodore Perry provoked a revolution. The Japanese people were angry at their Shoguns
for failing to protect them from the Western occupation, so they overthrew them.
In 1868, Emperor Mutsoshito decided that the only way for Japan to survive the imperial might of the
United States and the other Western powers was to adopt Western ways. The Japanese wrote a constitution,
created a modern army, industrialized, then, when they were ready, set out to become an imperial power in
their own right.
Madame Butterfly seems to take place sometime between the occupation by Commodore Perry and Japan’s
entrance into the world as an imperial power. It’s a time when Japan is changing rapidly. For some this is
exciting and liberating, for others it is threatening. For many it is both.
So when B.F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer – a reminder, perhaps, of Commodore Perry – when
he prepares to marry a Japanese woman, there is in the eyes of many both a threat to the continuity of their
culture and an opportunity to move forward with their nation’s present evolution.
Can Cio-Cio-San be loyal to her ancestors, a devoted Buddhist, an honourable Japanese woman if she marries an American, Christian, military man? Can this union build an alliance, bringing power, wealth and
influence to her impoverished family and troubled country?
Source: http://www.lexiconic.com/speech.php?opera=Butterfly
The popularity of geisha in Japan reached its peak in the early part of the 20th century, around when Madame Butterfly was written. In the 1920s there were more than 80,000 working geisha in Japan, while today
it is estimated that there are just between 1,000 to 2,000.
There is some confusion about the role of geisha, even in Japan. A legitimate geisha’s job is basically that
of a hostess, to entertain clients through the arts of dance, music and conversation, and generally lend an
air of liveliness and sophistication to a gathering. With no equivalent in Western culture, the misconception
grew that geisha were like European courtesans, who were essentially paid mistresses. After the Second
World War, during the Allied Occupation of Japan, many Japanese prostitutes wore geisha dress and became
known by the American GIs who hired them as “geesha girls,” further confusing the Western stereotype.
Geisha can be translated from Japanese to mean “art person” (from gei, meaning “art”, and sha, meaning “person”). To become a geisha, a young woman had to be accepted by a geisha house, called an okiya,
where she would live as an apprentice. In the past, girls often started their training very young, sometimes
even as children, but now most women begin their training at 18, or even after completing university. Apprentice geisha (called maiko, meaning “dance child,” or hangyoku, meaning “half-jewel”) attend classes
at a kaburenjo, a traditional geisha school, where they would learn traditional Japanese music and dance, as
well as the shamisen, a musical instrument. A geisha’s intensive educational and cultural training includes
the intricate tea ceremonies, flower arranging and calligraphy that are highly prized in traditional Japanese
culture.
For more information, share this Discovery Channel video with your students: http://dsc.discovery.com/tvshows/other-shows/videos/discovery-atlas-japan-geisha-culture.htm
5. Be a costume designer
Costume designers have an important role in the creation of a new opera. If it is a period piece, they will do
extensive research into the time and place that the opera takes place, and make decisions about the characters clothing based on that research. They will then do a sketch of each and every characters’ costume, with
basic colours often in pencil crayon or watercolour to give the wardrobe team a visual plan to work with.
They will also often include scraps of fabric with the sketches to give the wardrobe team further information
with which to work.
Kimonos
The method used to make kimonos is unique. A piece of fabric 12 to 13 meters (39 to 43 feet) long and 36
to 40 centimeters (14 to 15 inches) wide is cut into eight pieces. These pieces are then sewn back together
to create the basic form of the kimono. All of the fabric is used; none is thrown away. Most often, the fabric
used is silk, but yukata (informal summer kimonos) are often made of cotton. The use of eight separate
panels makes it easy to take the kimono apart in order to replace or repair old, faded, or damaged panels of
fabric.
Kimonos get their colours in one of two ways: The fabric is woven from different coloured threads; or the
woven fabric is dyed. One example of kimono fabric with the colour woven in is oshima-tsumugi, a fabric
made on the island of Amami-Oshima south of Kyushu. This fabric is strong and has a gloss to it. Another
example is yuki-tsumugi, made in the city of Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture; this fabric is said to be so sturdy it
lasts 300 years.
6. Giacomo Puccini - Composer of Madame Butterfly
Watch this talk addressing the relevance of Puccini in pop culture today: http://vimeo.com/23707170
Giacomo Puccini
(1858-1924)
Descended from a family of musicians, Puccini was the most important Italian opera composer in the generation after Verdi. He was born and educated in Lucca, later studying under Ponchielli at the Milan Conservatory. He began his career as a composer of opera with Le Villi, on the story familiar from Adam’s ballet
Giselle, but first won significant success in 1893 with Manon Lescaut. A musical dramatist of considerable
power, if sometimes lacking in depth, he wrote 12 operas in total, the last, Turandot, still unfinished at the
time of his death in 1924.
Operas
The opera Manon Lescaut, using the full name of the heroine of the 18th-century Abbé Prévost’s novel to
distinguish the work from Massenet’s treatment of the same subject, won great success. Manon, seduced by
the old Géronte, returns to her former lover, Des Grieux, but is betrayed to the authorities and transported
to America, where she dies in the arms of her lover, who has followed her. La Bohème, first staged in 1896,
centres on the love of Mimì and the poet Rodolfo in the Latin Quarter of Paris, a story of innocent love, betrayal and the final death of the heroine. Tosca, staged first in Rome in 1900, deals with the love of the singer
Tosca for the painter Cavaradossi, their implication in revolutionary activities, and their death through the
machinations of the wicked police-chief Scarpia, himself murdered by Tosca. Madame Butterfly is a story
of love betrayed, the innocent Japanese heroine of the title deserted by her faithless American husband and
finally compelled to suicide. La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) is set in a slightly improbable Wild West, while the triptych Il Trittico, three short operas that include Gianni Schicchi, attempts
a change of mood. Puccini’s last opera, Turandot, based on a Chinese story by the 18th-century dramatist
Gozzi, makes inappropriate use of Chinese melodies, but is a moving study of the love of the suitor Prince
Calaf for the icy-hearted and cruel Princess Turandot. All ends happily, but not before moments of suspense,
marked by the famous tenor aria Nessun dorma (Let no-one sleep).
Source: Naxos
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE:
PART THREE: Cast, Character, Synopsis, Opera Background and Terminology
1.
Biographies
Joseph Mechavich
Conductor
Regarded as a conductor of authority and warmth, Joseph Mechavich is known for his
exceptional artistry and infectious energy which he brings to every performance. In the
2011-12 season, Maestro Mechavich presided over two highly acclaimed performances
of Jake Heggie’s new opera Moby-Dick at both San Diego Opera and Calgary Opera. Additional recent
highlights include Romeo et Juliette for Florida Grand Opera, Floyd’s Susannah for Florentine Opera,
and Don Giovanni with both Kentucky Opera and Madison Opera. In the 2013-14 season Maestro will
return to Kentucky Opera for La Boheme, Dayton Opera for Tosca, Florentine Opera for La Traviata and
Calgary Opera for Madame Butterfly.
Glynis Leyshon
Stage Director
Glynis Leyshon, former Artistic Director of the Vancouver Playhouse and Victoria’s
Belfry Theatre, has directed for theatre and opera companies across the country. Productions include The Devil’s Disciple and Lady Be Good for the Shaw Festival, Falstaff
and Le Nozze di Figaro for Opera Lyra Ottawa and Rigoletto and the World Premiere
of Albert Herring for Vancouver Opera. Her productions for Pacific Opera Victoria include Der fliegende Holländer, The Rakes’ Progress, The Magic Flute and Vanessa. For
Alberta Theatre Projects she directed The Wizard of Oz while Die Fledermaus took her to Opera Hamilton. Her last productions for Calgary Opera were Don Giovanni and La Traviata.
CAST OF LA TRAVIATA
Sally Dibblee
Soprano
Cio-Cio-san
Soprano Sally Dibblee, critically acclaimed as a “tour-de-force of vocal control and
expressive flexibility” enjoys success on stages and concert halls throughout North
America. Last season’s engagements included the role debuts of Lady Billows in Albert Herring with Pacific Opera Victoria and the title role in The Merry Widow with the
Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and as soloist in A Sea Symphony by R. Vaughn
Williams with the Flint Symphony. Upcoming engagements are a return to Vancouver Opera as Lady
Billows and soprano soloist in Beethoven 9 with Symphony New Brunswick. She was last with Calgary
Opera for I Pagliacci/Gianni Schicchi (2011).
David Pomeroy
Tenor
Pinkerton
Blessed with a rich voice and thrilling top notes, internationally acclaimed tenor David
Pomeroy is enjoying a career in the world’s most important houses. The Newfoundland
native recently made his Metropolitan Opera stage debut in the title role of Les Contes
d’Hoffmann under the baton of James Levine. Mr. Pomeroy had previously sung the
role of Faust at the “MET in the Parks” concerts. Other credits include Alfredo in
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE:
PART THREE: Cast, Character, Synopsis, Opera Background and Terminology
La Traviata in Vancouver, Macduff in Macbeth in Edmonton, Don Jose in Carmen in Ireland, Stuttgart,
Victoria, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Kansas City. He sang Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly in St. Louis,
Kansas City, Fort Worth, Connecticut, Detroit and Quebec. He last performed in Calgary Opera’s The
Flying Dutchman (2014).
Daniel Okulitch
Baritone
Sharpless
Canadian Bass-Baritone Daniel Okulitch’s career first garnered national attention as
Schaunard in the original cast of Baz Luhrmann’s Tony award winning Broadway
production of La Bohème, and has since been established as a leading singer and dramatic interpreter in a wide variety of repertoire. In opera, Mr. Okulitch has garnered
acclaim in major baritone roles of Mozart, most notably Don Giovanni, and The Marriage of Figaro, which have been seen in New York, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Warsaw,
Vancouver, Dallas, Portland, Detroit, Hawaii, Hamilton, and Belle Ile en Mer. He was last with Calgary
Opera for Little Women (2010).
Lauren Segal
Mezzo-Soprano
Suzuki
South African-Canadian Mezzo-Soprano Lauren Segal is quickly establishing herself
as a young singer to watch. Critics praise her tone for its “gleaming, luscious timbre” (La Scena Musicale) and her operatic interpretations as “absolutely sensational”
(Paula Citron), and “alluring, sexy, her voice rich in nuance” (Opera Magazine).
Highlighted regularly during her time with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble
Studio, Ms. Segal recently returned to the company in a critically acclaimed performance as The Muse/
Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Further highlights of this season include Mozart’s
Coronation Mass with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Meg in Verdi’s Falstaff with L’Opéra de
Montréal. This is her debut with Calgary Opera.
Thomas Glenn
Tenor
Goro
Tenor, Thomas Glenn has performed at the San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan
Opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Netherlands Opera and The English National
Opera among others. His roles include Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte and the title role in
La Clemenza di Tito, as well as Italian bel canto roles such as Nemorino in L’elisir
d’amore, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Tebaldo in I Capuleti e I
Montecchi. He equally, has a great love of Twentieth Century operas, particularly those of Britten, Stravinsky and Janácek. He frequently performs with the Atlanta Symphony as well as orchestras like The
Cleveland Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle
Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Marin Symphony, and Santa Rosa Symphony.
Tyler Fitzgerald
Bass-Baritone
Yamadori/The Bonze
Originally from Nanaimo, British Columbia, Baritone Tyler Fitzgerald holds a
Bachelor’s degree in music from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo. Upcoming
performances include: The Marquis (La Traviata), Count Gill (Il Segreto di Susanna),
Don Inigo (The Spanish Hour), Don Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia),and Messiah
(Peterborough Singers). Other roles include: Count (Le Nozze di Figaro),Papageno
(Die Zauberflte),Pistola (Falstaff), Jimmy (Mahagonny Songspiel), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas), King
Melchoir (Amahl and the Night Visitors), and Le Marquis (Dialogues des Carmelites). In 2012, Mr.
Fitzgerald was the recipient of the Gladys Whitehead Scholarship for Voice, and in 2011 was the winner
of the Lois Marshall Competition (London, Ont.)
Aaron Dimoff
Bass-Baritone
Imperial Commissioner
Born in Ontario, Mr. Dimoff recently completed his Masters of Music degree at the
University of Western Ontario under the mentorship of Canadian Baritone Theodore Baerg. Past performances include Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte,
Frank in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Dr. Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Seneca in
L’incoronozione di Poppea, and Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. He is frequently
heard performing the Requiems of Fauré, Brahms, and Duruflé, as well as Handel’s
Messiah. As a recent winner of the Zack Scholarship Competition, he had the pleasure of performing
in Opera Hamilton’s annual Popera concert. Mr. Dimoff is thrilled to be in Calgary with the Emerging
Artists.
Courtney Murias
Mezzo-Soprano
Kate Pinkerton
Born in Calgary, Courtney V. Murias is thrilled to join Calgary Opera’s Emerging
Artists. Her last performance with Calgary Opera was in 2009 in Manon (chorus).
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Lethbridge. Since that time, she
completed her master’s degree at the University of Western Ontario, performing the
roles of Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) and Ottone (L’Incoronazione di Poppea). She
then joined the COC chorus in Toronto, performing in Il trovatore and La clemenza di Tito. Ms. Murias
has also performed Handel’s Messiah, and Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the UWO
Symphony Orchestra as a winner of the Martista Brooks Concerto Competition.
Cio-Cio-San – Sally Dibblee, Soprano
Cio-Cio-San (Madame Butterfly) is a young woman who has fallen in love with the dashing Pinkerton.
Little does she know that he only sees her as a temporary wife until he can find himself a proper American bride.
Pinkerton – David Pomeroy, Tenor
American Lieutenant Pinkerton with the United States Navy professes to love the young and naive
Cio-Cio-San when really he plans to discard her as soon as he’s able. The officer doesn’t realize that
Cio-Cio-san sees this marriage much more seriously and intends to devote the rest of her life to him.
Sharpless – Daniel Okulitch, Baritone
The United States consul at Nagasaki, Sharpless becomes entangled in Pinkerton and Cio-Cio-San’s
story when he delivers a fateful letter to her home.
Suzuki – Lauren Segal, Mezzo-Soprano
Cio-Cio-San’s companion and confident, Suzuki cares deeply for her mistress and is there when the
final tragedy unfolds.
3. Madame Butterfly synopsis
Act I
Japan, early twentieth century
On a flowering terrace above Nagasaki harbor, U.S. Navy Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton inspects the
house he has leased from a marriage broker, Goro, who has just procured him three servants and a
geisha wife, Cio-Cio-San, known as Madame Butterfly. To the American consul, Sharpless, who arrives breathless from climbing the hill, Pinkerton describes the carefree philosophy of a sailor roaming the world in search of pleasure. At the moment, he is enchanted with the fragile Cio-Cio-San, but
his 999-year marriage contract contains a monthly renewal option. When Sharpless warns that the girl
may not take her vows so lightly, Pinkerton brushes aside such scruples, saying he will one day marry
a “real” American wife. Cio-Cio-San is heard in the distance joyously singing of her wedding. Entering surrounded by friends, she tells Pinkerton how, when her family fell on hard times, she had to earn
her living as a geisha. Her relatives bustle in, noisily expressing their opinions on the marriage. In a
quiet moment, Cio-Cio-san shows her bridegroom her few earthly treasures and tells him of her intention to embrace his Christian faith. The Imperial Commissioner performs the wedding ceremony, and
the guests toast the couple. The celebration is interrupted by Cio-Cio-San’s uncle, a Buddhist priest,
who bursts in, cursing the girl for having renounced her ancestors’ religion. Pinkerton angrily sends
the guests away. Alone with Cio-Cio-San in the moonlit garden, he dries her tears, and she joins him in
singing of their love.
ACT II
Three years later
Cio-Cio-san waits for her husband’s return. As Suzuki prays to her gods for aid, her mistress stands
by the doorway with her eyes fixed on the harbor. When the maid shows her how little money is left,
Cio-Cio-san urges her to have faith: one fine day Pinkerton’s ship will appear on the horizon. Sharpless
brings a letter from the lieutenant, but before he can read it to Cio-Cio-san, Goro comes with a suitor,
the wealthy Prince Yamadori. The girl dismisses both marriage broker and prince, insisting her American husband has not deserted her. When they are alone, Sharpless again starts to read the letter and suggests Pinkerton may not return. Cio-Cio-san proudly carries forth her child, Dolore (Trouble), saying
that as soon as Pinkerton knows he has a son he surely will come back; if he does not, she would rather
die than return to her former life. Moved by her devotion, Sharpless leaves, without having revealed the
full contents of the letter. Cio-Cio-san, on the point of despair, hears a cannon report; seizing a spyglass, she discovers Pinkerton’s ship entering the harbor. Now delirious with joy, she orders Suzuki to
help her fill the house with flowers. As night falls, Cio-Cio-san, Suzuki and the child begin their vigil.
ACT III
As dawn breaks, Suzuki insists that Cio-Cio-San rest. Humming a lullaby to her child, she carries him
to another room. Before long, Sharpless enters with Pinkerton, followed by Kate, his new wife. When
Suzuki realizes who the American woman is, she collapses in despair but agrees to aid in breaking the
news to her mistress. Pinkerton, seized with remorse, bids an anguished farewell to the scene of his
former happiness, then rushes away. When Cio-Cio-san comes forth expecting to find him, she finds
Kate instead. Guessing the truth, the shattered Cio-Cio-San agrees to give up her child if his father
will return for him. Then, sending even Suzuki away, she takes out the dagger with which her father
committed suicide and bows before a statue of Buddha, choosing to die with honour rather than live in
disgrace. As she raises the blade, Suzuki pushes the child into the room. Sobbing farewell, Cio-Cio-San
sends him into the garden to play, then stabs herself. As she dies, Pinkerton is heard calling her name.
4. Madame Butterfly music selections
Excerpt 1:
“E soffitto...e pareti...”duet sung by Pinkerton, tenor and Goro, baritone
Prior to his wedding, Goro shows Pinkerton around a Japanese residence in Nagasaki that will soon be
his own. Pinkerton is surprised by the graceful and unique fixtures of the house.
Excerpt 2:
Aria “Un bel di, vedremo,” aria sung by Cio-Cio-San, soprano
When Suzuki begins to lose faith that her mistress’ husband will never return, Cio-Cio-San sings of her
vision of his return and how beautiful and romantic it will be.
Excerpt 3:
Duet “Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio,” aria sung by Cio-Cio-San, soprano and Suzuki, mezzosoprano
Cio-Cio-san has had news of Pinkerton’s return and eagerly decorates the house will all manner of
flowers in celebration. Suzuki assists, singing with her mistress.
Excerpt 4:
Aria “Con onor muore,” aria sung by Cio-Cio-San, soprano
After learning the terrible truth of Pinkerton’s betrayal, Madame Butterfly weeps, sending Suzuki and
her son away. Alone and dishonoured, she can see no other option but to take her own life.
Identify the various operatic voices that you hear in the music. Can you tell the difference between a
tenor (Pinkerton) and a baritone (Goro and Sharpless)? Discuss the emotions or ideas that are being
sung about; is it clear? How does the melody support these emotions or ideas?
5. Opera in Canada
At Calgary Opera, we have been more than fortunate to be able to expose our patrons to several new Canadian operas. New operas, though
not rare, are expensive and very labour intensive to create.
Opera came to Canada with the first French settlements. Samuel de
Champlain organized an opera performance even before he founded
Quebec in 1608. As the railroads moved westward in the 19th Century,
so did opera. Each province eventually established at least one opera
company.
There is evidence of light operas being performed in Canada from
1914 onward, but there was a real outburst of activity in the early
1940s due to the patronage of the burgeoning Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Many operas were written for radio, such as Healy
Willan’s Transit Through Fire, which was broadcast in 1942. Canada’s
100th birthday in 1967 marked a high moment of Canadian nationalism, so it is not surprising that Canadian opera flourished. Government money through the Canada Council was made available for new
commissions and there was an explosion of new productions, such as
Murray Adaskin’s Grant, Warden of the Plains, Raymond Pannell’s The
Luck of Ginger Coffey, and perhaps the best known, Mavor Moore and
Harry Somers’ Louis Riel.
Louis Riel was first performed at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto in
Gaétan Laperrière and Laura Whalen in the title role of the
1967 and had a revival as a McGill University student production in
Calgary Opera world premiere of Filumena (2003). Coby Calgary Opera and The Banff Centre.
2005. Harry Somers, in collaboration with Rod Anderson, has also writ- commissioned
Photo by Trudie Lee.
ten Mario and the Magician, based on Thomas Mann’s novel of the same
name, which was performed by the Canadian Opera Company at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in 1992.
The Golden Ass, written by Randolph Peters and the late Robertson Davies, was performed at the
O’Keefe Centre to great acclaim in 1999. Pacific Opera Victoria produced Mavor Moore and Louis Applebaum’s Erewhon in 2000. Tapestry Music Theatre produced Chan Ka Nin’s The Iron Road, an opera
about Chinese labourers on the Western Canadian Railway. Another exciting operatic venture about
Canada’s little discussed history of slavery is the passionate tale of Beatrice Chancy by James Rolfe and
George Elliot Clarke.
In 2003, Calgary Opera embarked on our first full-length new work, a co-commission with The Banff
Centre, Filumena. The opera told the true story of Filumena, a young immigrant woman hanged for the
death of an RCMP officer. It was presented to standing ovations and rave reviews, so in 2007 Calgary
Opera and The Banff Centre reunited the creative team - John Estacio, John Murrell, Kelly Robinson,
Harry Frehner, Sue LePage - to create Frobisher. Frobisher tells a story of love, loss, and adventure in
Canada’s North. Set against the backdrop of the Northern Lights and the forbiddingly beautiful Arctic
landscape, the story weaves back and forth in time, with powerful parallel stories of exploration and
discovery, 500 years apart.
Who best to receive new Canadian works but children? Many new works that have been created are
geared towards the younger generation, an audience virtually ignored in the history of opera. In 2008
Clarence Frazer and Lida Szkwarek in Calgary Opera’s Hannaraptor.
Hannaraptor, by Allan Gilliland and Val
Brandt, was created. Taking place in the
rugged landscape of the Drumheller area,
Hannaraptor followed the emotional story
of a young girl who discovers a fossil of a
yet undiscovered dinosaur. The production
struck a cord with young people as it toured
to communities and schools throughout
southern Alberta. Hannaraptor was remounted in Calgary Opera’s 2012-13 season
and toured to communities in and around
Calgary as well as towns as far reaching as
Lac la Biche and Bonnyville in northern
Photo by Alex Bonyun
Alberta.
Dean Burry’s The Hobbit and The Brothers Grimm have been produced across Canada. The Brothers
Grimm toured with our own Emerging Artists in March 2007 and again in March 2011. By 2012 it had
been performed over 500 times, making it the most performed new Canadian work of all time. Vancouver Opera has toured Naomi’s Road and the Canadian Children’s Opera chorus has generated Dr. Cannon’s Cure and A Mid-Winter Night’s Dream. In 2009 Calgary Opera performed Vancouver Opera’s
production of The Barber of Barrhead, a Canadian adaptation of The Barber of Seville.
Reuniting Calgary Opera’s creative team, Vancouver Opera recently entered onto the new work front
with Lillian Alling, the story of an intrepid yet mysterious woman searching for a man she scarcely
knew, wherever it might take her. In 2011, Calgary Opera presented the world premiere of Bramwell
Tovey and John Murrell’s The Inventor, the story of the black sheep nephew of the famous Keith brewing family.
Most recently, Calgary Opera has embarked on a new venture with, What Brought Us Here - A New
Community Opera, by Arthur Bachmann and Clem Martini, created from the collected stories of new
immigrants to Canada. This new opera premiered in September 2012 at the Arrata Opera Centre with a
hugely positive response.
In the landscape of opera, new Canadian operas are alive and well, and we hope that they will continue
to flourish.
6. Opera Terms
Opera in Italian is called opera lirica, or lyric work. ‘Lyric’ is defined as ‘appropriate song,’ so opera
lirica is a work of theatre that is set to song. Opera combines the best of the arts: singing, orchestra,
drama, dance, sets, costumes, lighting and special effects. All of these characteristics combine to make
opera one of the most powerful art forms. Opera is just as entertaining now as it was when it was first
created. If you like a good story, you’ll love opera! Here are a few things to help you figure it all out.
Libretto: Italian for “little book.” The words of an opera are written by a librettist.
Aria: Italian for an air or song; a big number where the singer expresses feelings and shows off their
voice.
Recitative: Speech-singing where the singer may adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech. Used to further the plot or set up an aria.
Duet: An aria built for two. Singers express feelings to each other or the audience.
Ensemble: Principal singers singing mostly together, expressing similar or different opinions and emotions.
Fach or Voice Category: German for “compartment.” A voice category or range of notes and voice
quality in individual singers.
Coloratura Soprano: The highest female voice. This soprano is the ‘tweety bird’ of opera, singing the
highest range of notes with great flexibility.
Soprano: The voice has a high range of notes. Voice quality can be dramatic or lyric. Cio-Cio-San in
Madame Butterfly is a soprano role.
Mezzo-Soprano: Mezzo-Sopranos have the middle range of the female voice. Suzuki in Madame Butterfly is a mezzo-soprano.
Tenor: The highest range in the male voice. Pinkerton is a tenor.
Baritone: The middle range of the male voice. The role of Sharpless is a baritone.
Bass: The lowest of the male voices.
Chorus: A group of community-based singers who provide support to the principal singers, set the
scene and create the mood for an opera. The chorus includes all voice categories.